Bharath: UNC has failed TT on Anti-Gang Bill

FORMER trade minister Vasant Bharath said the Opposition had failed the whole country by its abstention on the Anti Gang Bill 2020 to renew the Anti Gang Act 2018 last Friday in the House of Representatives. At a briefing on Sunday at Cyrus Trace, San Juan, he described the abstention as “a debacle” which showed the need for reform in the United National Congress (UNC).

Bharath is vying to become UNC leader in the party’s December 6 internal elections, against Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

He hit, “It seems that she and her slate do not care about the national interest and that is why they have refused to explain why they opposed this anti-gang legislation.”

In contrast, Bharath rebuffed Persad-Bissessar’s criticisms against him for serving on the Government’s Roadmap to Recovery Committee during the covid19 pandemic by saying he had put the national interest first. He later declared, “I always seek a solution for the greater good of all concerned.”

Bharath said the UNC must not be seen by the population as a party which opposes for opposing sake.

“More importantly, the UNC must not be viewed as a party which is willing to sacrifice the national interest for petty political gain.

“Unfortunately, that is why the population does not trust the current leadership of the UNC and that is why we have lost so many elections. We lack discipline and leadership.”

Bharath said the Opposition last Friday had failed to propose any amendments to the Anti Gang Bill, as he asked exactly what had been their objections.

“If there were constitutional concerns, then identify them and bring amendments. The entire Act is not unconstitutional."

He said where the Act creates an offence for being a part of a gang, that cannot be objectionable.

“If however there were concerns about detention periods or police search powers then propose necessary amendments to curb those things.”

Saying it is desirable to ban gang membership, Bharath urged, “Do not throw the baby out with the bath water.”

He said a responsible opposition must fully explain its objections and work towards a compromise or solution in the national interest.

“The UNC leadership has failed to do this and therefore they have failed its membership and the country.”

Saying the bill was supported by both Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith and senior counsel Israel Khan, Bharath said while it seriously infringes constitutional rights, the Government had sought its passage by a special majority as required.

“The problem as I see it is that the UNC has failed to articulate why they have opposed legislation which strikes at the heart of gang related activity. That is a failure of leadership and a failure institutional discipline. Bharath said no other law, whether common law or statute, targets gang membership in such a focused, direct, and intense manner.

“Anti-gang legislation targets gang membership, gang culture and gang proliferation. The philosophy behind the legislation is to break up these gangs because while individuals may commit crimes, the severity and scale of those crimes increase exponentially when perpetrated within the context of a gang.”

He implied that anti-gang legislation helps crime detection. “Witnesses and other persons in the community are less likely to come forward with evidence and assistance to police when their neighbourhood is being stalked by a resident gang.”

Accusing Persad-Bissessar of horse-trading in promising to support the bill in exchange for implementation of procurement reform which ultimately did not occur, Bharath chided, "That is putting the lives of citizens at stake."